1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to chairs and more particularly, to a novel cover for the legs of a chair base.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, chairs have been manufactured with a variety of configurations of legs which rest on the floor and which support the chair seat either directly or indirectly. The present invention is directed to chairs most commonly found in offices which utilize a central spindle or column which depends from a chair seat or a chair control and which has a plurality of radially-extending legs from the central spindle or column. In most cases, casters are secured to the ends of the legs to permit easy movement of the chair.
However, it is to be understood that while the present invention will be described for use with the type of chair described hereinbefore, it may find applicability for any chair.
The chair legs may be made of any suitable material such as steel, wood or the like. The shape and configuration of these legs as well as the material from which they are constructed, are chosen to complement the desired look of the entire chair. One of the problems associated with these chair legs is that they become damages or "worn" after a period of time. This may be due to a number of reasons but in most cases, by the user of the chair resting his or her feet or shoes directly on the leg.
A second problem associated with these chair legs is that they do become damaged by striking such objects as desks. These chairs generally are mobile and are moved around by the user and will contact other articles of furniture.
These chair legs also represented a significant cost of manufacture. They must be finished to an aesthetically-acceptable degree in the desired material and cannot be interchanged with other chair legs. Thus, each set of legs must be manufactured to meet the desired specifications of the chair itself.
Several attempts have been made in the prior art to overcome these difficulties although each attempt suffers from significant drawbacks.
One such attempt included the provision of a plate along the top surface of the chair leg. This plate was designed to protect the leg from damage caused by the user's foot or shoe and did so successfully but represented an increased cost of manufacture.
More recently, chair legs have been manufactured and then covered by a coating of urethane to protect the leg itself. This procedure aided in the prevention of damage to the chair leg but also represented a significant increase in the cost of manufacture. Also, each chair leg must be individually coated to specification.